The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest short-term rental demand events in history—bigger than the Super Bowl, bigger than Taylor Swift tours, and long enough to make or break an entire revenue year. In this episode, Jamie Lane sits down with revenue strategist and Happy Guest founder Rebecca Ballart, who has personally priced more than 10,000 listings worldwide, to help hosts understand what to expect… and how not to leave thousands of dollars on the table.

Rebecca breaks down why mega-events behave nothing like peak season, how booking windows warp under immense hype, and why the “right” price can’t be pulled from comps or pricing tools alone. This conversation is filled with practical guidance for hosts in every 2026 host city—especially those looking at early booking spikes and wondering, “Am I priced too low… or way too high?”

They also walk through real-world examples, from massive wins at Hangout Fest to the hard realities when an event is suddenly canceled. Rebecca shares what operators can monitor between now and kickoff, how to think about length-of-stay strategy, when to adjust, and why the smartest revenue managers mix tools with human intuition—not one or the other.

If you’re hosting anywhere near a World Cup stadium, you can’t afford to miss this episode.

Key Takeaways

• Mega-events don’t follow normal demand patterns. Expect sudden booking rushes, long periods of quiet, and another surge as the event approaches.

• Length of stay is a powerful lever. Shorter stays + higher nightly rates often outperform long minimums during multi-week events.

• Inventory size dictates upside. Large homes can safely aim higher, while 1–2 bedroom units compete directly with hotels and must price accordingly.

• Use pricing tools—but don’t outsource your thinking. Algorithms can miss nuance; human oversight catches opportunities and prevents painful mistakes.

• Set guardrails before cancellations hit. Minimum event rates and watchful monitoring protect you from losing revenue when fans shift cities or plans change.

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Connect with Jamie on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiehlane/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamie_Lane

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Connect with Scott on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagescott

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Connect with AirDNA on social media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/airdna.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airdna/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/airdna

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@airdna.co

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Episode 161

The short-term rental market is entering a new phase — one where stability, not volatility, is driving the biggest changes. In this fireside chat from the Data & Revenue Management Conference, Jamie Lane joins Simon Lehmann and Pedro Borges to break down the real signals behind 2025’s “steady state” and what it means for hosts and managers heading into 2026. This isn’t a hype-filled projection; it’s a data-backed look at supply slowdowns, shifting guest behavior, and how professionalization continues to reshape the competitive landscape.

From the K-shaped performance split between luxury and mid-market listings to the growing influence of OTA ranking systems, the conversation highlights why outperforming your market now depends less on macro tailwinds — and more on operational sharpness. Jamie and Pedro dig into pricing challenges, the emerging STR-to-midterm pivot in major cities, and how rising owner expenses like taxes and insurance are reshaping what “profitability” even means. If you want a grounded, unfiltered view of where the industry is actually heading, this episode delivers it.

For STR operators planning their next move, this is essential listening. You don’t want to miss this episode!

Key Takeaways

• Stability requires strategy: With occupancy flat and supply growth at historic lows, 2025–2026 will be a competition for share, not an automatic lift.

• Quality gaps matter: Listings with sub-4.7 ratings are shrinking fastest as OTAs elevate top-tier properties and push weaker performers to page two and beyond.

• Profitability is the real KPI: Rising insurance and property taxes mean managers must understand — and communicate — homeowner-level financial realities.

• Luxury grows, mid-market squeezes: The K-shaped recovery continues, rewarding high-end supply while challenging budget and mid-tier operators.

• Midterm strategies surge: Regulatory pressure and seasonality are accelerating the blend of STR and midterm stays, especially in cities like NYC, Denver, and LA.

Sign up for AirDNA for FREE 👇

https://bit.ly/45KslCy

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Connect with Jamie on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiehlane/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamie_Lane

—————

Connect with Scott on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagescott

—————

Connect with AirDNA on social media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/airdna.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airdna/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/airdna

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@airdna.co

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Episode 160

What happens when two hands-on STR operators decide to take their kids, their business, and a camera across all 50 states? Kylee and Steven Neil Hauser—longtime hosts and boutique property managers in Southern California and the Palm Springs region—join Jamie to share the remarkable evolution of their business and the surprising realities of running 40+ units from the road.

In this episode, they unpack how they went from a rundown Mission Beach duplex to a curated, mid-size management portfolio—without ever aiming to become “big.” Their story is a masterclass in staying lean, staying connected, and building systems that support real freedom… not just more work. Along the way, they’re gathering fresh inspiration from dozens of stays across the country, rethinking what truly makes a memorable STR experience, and learning what hosts get right (and wrong) from a guest’s perspective.

Whether you’re an aspiring host, an already-stretched operator, or someone dreaming of reshaping your lifestyle through STRs, this episode distills years of hard-earned lessons—no fluff, just practical insights from operators living it in real time.

You don’t want to miss this episode.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Boutique beats big: Kylee & Steven intentionally chose not to scale endlessly—quality, owner alignment, and lifestyle mattered more than unit count.

• Systems enable freedom: Their remote-friendly stack centers around Uplisting + Breezeway, with smart-home tools filling the gaps.

• Personalized responses still win: They use templates—but not automation—so every guest feels a human touch (and messages never sit unanswered).

• Owners must buy in: Performance issues often come down to owners unwilling to reinvest; showing real comps is key to shifting mindsets.

• Being guests changed their hosting: Their 50-state trip revealed what truly matters to travelers—and inspired new ideas for design, amenities, and guest experience.

https://www.youtube.com/@kyleeandsteven

Sign up for AirDNA for FREE 👇

https://bit.ly/3HkuETy

—————

Connect with Jamie on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiehlane/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamie_Lane

—————

Connect with Scott on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagescott

—————

Connect with AirDNA on social media:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/airdna.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airdna/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/airdna

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@airdna.co

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Episode 159